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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · cell · mug · tube · stand · wound · pound · race

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cell — in biology
  4. tube — a container
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. race — a contest
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cell — a phone
  12. race — humankind
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mug — a cup
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mug — a face
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. cell — in a prison

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com